Apparatus for musical reproduction



'7, 1934- A. F.y zoPP/` 1,969,680

APPARATUS FOR MUSICAL REPRODUCTION Filed April 25. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2 'fgf- 4 IHIHMM, nl' "NIH rgi INVENTOR; ff/zur ida/ard Zfyyfa A TTORN E YS.

Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES PATNT i OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sound reproducing instruments and more particularly refers to a novel and improved type of mechanical player piano, equipped with means for operating a loud speaker associated therewith, said means being controlled by an auxiliary sound record which is integral with the piano record, such as described and claimed in another application, entitled musical record and method of producing same, led simultaneously herewith.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a combination of mechanical player piano and devices controlling the circuit of a loud speaker associated therewith, said devices being controlled by the same record web which controls the player piano, and being adapted to reproduce music of some other instrument or of the human voice in proper musical relation to the music produced by the player piano.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved arrangement of mechanical player piano and photo-electric means for controlling a loud speaker circuit, said photo-electric means comprising devices cooperating with the player piano in reproducing an auxiliary sound record integral with the piano record itself.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear as the description proceeds and will be set forth and claimed in the appended claims.

In my other application above referred to, I have described and claimed a musical record comprising the combination of an ordinary piano record and an additional sound recordimusically related thereto and synchronized therewith, said auxiliary sound record being of a nat re adapted toproduce or induce audio freque cy currents in a loud speaker circuit without requiring any physical contact between the sound record and vibrating elements forming part of the sound reproducing circuit.

The use of this type of record calls for a player piano instrument equipped with means adapted to cooperate with the auxiliary sound record in producing the corresponding pulsating currents in the loud speaker circuit;4 and the present invention more particularly refers to Such a type of instrument as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a combined player piano record and photographic sound record adapted to be used in connection with the instrument forming the object of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a similar record in which a sound record produced by means of an electrically conductive coating has been substituted for the photographic sound record;

Fig. 3 is a front View in elevation of a player piano embodying my invention;

Fig. 4 is a detail side sectional view in elevation of the record chamber in the player piano together with a diagram showing the manner in' which vthe photographic sound record is reproduced;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side View in elevation of the record chamber and sound board of a player piano together with a diagram showing the manner of reproducing the photographic sound record by means or" a loud speaker attached to the piano sound hoard; and

Fig. s is a view similar to that of rig. 4, to; gether with a circuit illustrating the manner of reproducing the electrically conductive record.

In Fig. l, l0 designates a musical record comprising a player piano record section l1 provided with the usual perforations l2, and a photographic sound record section 13 having a photographic sound record 14 which is obtained by any suitable process. Y

The two records are exactly timed in musical relation and are complementary to each other, so that if for instance the photographic record has been obtained by the playing of a violin, the composite record will produce the effect of piano music with a violin accompaniment. The speed at which the record is caused to move may be that of the usual player piano record which varies from one to three inches per second, according to the tempo at which the music is played. At these speeds the fundamental tones and also the harmonics of the lower frequencies can be recorded. However, it is feasible to operate the record at higher speeds, particularly with the perforaticns more widely spaced, and at such higher speeds, sounds of higher frequencies can be easily recorded.

A record 'of this character has the advantage over an ordinary phonographic record that no physical contact between the record itself and the reproducing devices is required; the imperfections and limitations arising in musical reproduction from diiiculties of a mechanical nature are therefore eliminated.

- In my other patent application above referred to I have described a method for producing this type of musical record, whereby a perfect synchronism between the piano and the photographic record is assured.

The manner of playing the musical record described is illustrated in Fig. 4, in which 15 designates the player piano provided with a record chamber 16 in which the web or nlm record l7 is inserted in the usual manner.

When said web or iilm unwinds from roll 18 and is wound upon roll 19, forming part of a player piano mechanism of the usual type, it passes in front of the tracker bar 20 which controls the playing of the piano.

The two end portions of rolls 18, 19 corresponding to the edge portion 13 of the musical record carrying the photographic sound record, and said portion 13 itself, are enclosed in an end portion of chamber 16 which is enclosed by a suitable partition (not shown) to form a dark chamber.

The front of said dark chamber is closed by a cover 21 which carries an open front chamber 22, in which are mounted a light source of constant intensity 23 in the form of an electric lamp, and a lens 24 directing the rays of light emanating therefrom against the surface of the portion 25 of the photographic sound record directly opposite thereto.

At the rear of the photographic sound record is another tubular chamber 26, in which is mounted an electrical light sensitive device 27 directly behind the photographic `record,oppo site to lens 24. Said light sensitive device may be constituted by a photo-electric cell or a selenium cell which is inserted in a loud speaker circuit preferably including amplifying means.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 one of the poles of the electrical light sensitive device is connected with a grid 28 of an amplifier or audion bulb 29. The plate 30 of the bulb 29 connects with the positive side of the B battery, and the negative side of the B battery connects to one post of the loud speaking receiver 3l and then back to the opposite pole of the electrical light sensitive device by means of a wire 32.

A third circuit connects'the negative pole oi. an A battery with wire 32, which is also connected by a wire 33 to one side of the filament 34. The other side of the filament is connected to the arm 35 of the rheostat 36 which in its turn is connected to the positive pole of the A battery.

A photographic record consists of a series of light exposures which are more or less transparent according to the fluctuations in the intensity of the light issuing from a light source due to corresponding fiuctuations of a current flowing through the circuit in which said light source was inserted when the record was made; said fluctuations being induced or produced in said circuit by a sound sensitive device, in accordance with the original sound waves from which the photographic record was produced.

From the foregoing description it will be seen .that the light directed by lens 24 through the light exposures composing the photographic sound record will affect the electrical light sensitive device 27 to a greater or less degree according to the transparency of the various light exposures; so that the pulsating currents thus produced in the electrical device 27 may be converted in any well-known manner back into sound waves either with or without amplification.

In the present case the amplifier bulb 29 will amplify the pulsating currents induced in the i electrical device many times until they are collected and transformed into sound waves by the receiver 31. It is obvious that as many steps of amplication may be used as desired, the simple circuit shown in the diagram being chiefly intended for purposes of illustration.

It is quite possible and in fact preferable to use a loud speaker of which the sound board of the piano itself forms an active element as indicated in Fig. 5 in which 37 designates the sound board of the piano on which is mounted or with which is operatively associated the loud speaker 38 in any well-known manner, said loud speaker 38 havinge one-of its terminals connected to the negative side of the B battery and having the other terminal connected to wire 32, and being used in place of loud speaker or receiver 31.

While in carrying my invention into practice I prefer to use a musical record comprising a perforated piano record and a photographic sound record such as described, it is also possible to produce the auxiliary sound record by other than photographic sound recording means.

For instance in Fig. 2 I illustrate a record in which a perforated piano record section 39 is combined with a record 40 consisting of a succession of sound wave characters printed by means of an electrically conductive ink or coating, said characters being in the form of a line of appreciable width having wavy edges.

Such a record is made in accordance with the method described in the patent to E. P. Bone,

#1,580,112, and by means of the same when the paper is made to move in such a manner that successive parts of the ink line pass in close proximity to some part of an electric circuit, they will change the electric capacity of said circuit in correspondence with changes in the character of the ink line.

The changes in capacity cause a correspondingly changing current to flow in the circuit when the circuit is under the influence of a suitable electro-motive force. This change in current which is similar to the current in a telephone circuit is transformed in audible sound wavesA by a telephone receiver or the like connected in the circuit.

The changing current is preferably amplified by one or more vacuum tubes before it is converted into audible waves. By virtue of said amplication an ink line of small dimensions on a contact sheet orroll of paper is possible. Also in this case no moving mechanical contacts are required and purer tones are produced.

In Fig. 6 the film 41 which comprises an electrically conductive sound record such as described is played in the ordinary manner in the player piano 42 and a brush 43 is in contact with said electrically conductive sound record. A generator 44 is used to furnish the electromotive force to charge the electrically conductive sound record and the conductor 45, which is spaced therefrom. Said conductor 45 is connected to the grid 46 of a vacuum tube 47.

The fluctuations in the width of the ink line at 4B of the moving record 41 causesv a varying electrical influence on conductor 45 which in turn affects the grid 46 through conductor 49. The potential of the grid which thus fluctuates in harmony with the waves of the ink line, thus gives rise to an amplified pulsating current in the plate circuit 50 including the telephone receiver or loud speaker 51.

In Fig. 3 I illustrate a player piano 52 embodying my invention, in which the record chamber is separated by a partition 53 into a main chamber 54 in which is exposed the perforated piano record section 55, and a smaller chamber 58 at sound record section 5,7.

The instrument is equipped with means 58 in correspondence of auxiliary chamber 56 adapted to cooperate with the auxiliary sound record in producing the necessary fluctuations in the loud speaker circuit, controlled'by a dial or dials 59 Within convenient reach of the operator; said dial or dials being mounted on a cabinet 60 within which the various elements forming the amplifying circuit are enclosed, said cabinet being conveniently placed or secured onto the instrument at any convenient point.

In the drawings the player piano is shown as being used in connection with a musical record including a photographic sound record, and therefore means 58 correspond to chambers 22, 26 and light generating and light sensitive devices such as described in connection with Fig. 4.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I produce an improved combination of player piano and electrical sound reproducing devices associated therewith, said sound reproducing devices being preferably adapted to be controlled by a photographic' sound record, whereby orchestral and concert effects can be obtained by the reproduction of a piano record and an auxiliary musical record, under the control of the same operator; the proper timing of the two renditions being assured by the type of musical record used, and both the player piano and the electrical sound reproducing device being under the full and easy control of the operator sitting in front of the instrument.

It is obvious that by means of the apparatus described it is possible to play one record independently of the other if desired merely by operating their various respective controls.

My invention may be carried into practice in ways diiierent from those showmand the drawings will therefore be understood as being intended for illustrative purposes only and not in a limiting sense.

I therefore reserve myself the right to carry my invention into practice in all those waysgand manners which may enter, fairly, into the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described the combination, with a player piano comprising a record chamber, record and take-up rolls mounted therein, a photographic sound record carried by said rolls, and a loud speaker circuit, ora partition dividing said chamber into a piano record chamber and a photographic record chamber, means for closing said photographic record chamber, and means controlled by said photographic record, enclosed within said photographic record chamber, operating said circuit.

2. In music reproduction apparatus the combination of a mechanically played musical instrument, comprising a record and take-up means therefor, with electrical sound reproducing apparatus comprising a photographic sound record integral with the rst named record and taken up therewith, a loud speaker circuit, and means mountedin the casing of said instrument and positioned for coaction with said photographic record to operate the loud speaker circuit.

3. In music reproduction apparatus the combination of a mechanically played musical instrument, comprising a record and take-up means therefor, with electrical sound reproducing apparatus comprising a photographic sound record integral with the first named record and taken up therewith, a loud speaker circuit, means mounted in the casing of said instrument and positioned for coaction with said photographic record to operate the loud speaker circuit, and means associated with said instrument within reach of the operator for controlling said electrical sound reproducing apparatus.

4. In music reproduction apparatus, the combination of a mechanically played musical instrument, comprising a strip record and take-up means therefor, with electrical sound reproducing apparatus comprising a photographic sound record integral with the first named record and taken up therewith, a loud speaker circuit, and means positioned for coaction with said photographic record to operate the loud speaker circuit.

ARTHUR EDWARD ZOPPA. 

